Pain talking

Explaining and quantifying the experience of living with chronic pain presents a particularly challenging task for children and young people. Individuals regularly describe difficulties articulating their experiences leading to feelings of isolation.

This research study explores the role of design and creative methods in enabling young people to describe and communicate their pain experiences.

Young people have engaged in workshops employing creative participatory research methods. These have included the use of graphics, word walls, photographs, visualisation techniques and 3-dimensional objects. These have led to increased understanding of communication techniques that young people find useful.

Initial findings have highlighted the potential of novel pain visualisation strategies and digital technologies. The next phase of the project will develop computer based imagery techniques to create personalised representations of the multi-faceted impact of pain that can be printed using 3D technologies.